Apparatus for the heat treatment of metals.



No. 868,185. PATENTED OCT. 15,, 1907.

T. v. HUGHES.

APPARATUS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT OF METALS. APPLIUATION HLED MAR. 19,1901.

' tion of parts hereinafterdescribed'whcreby I am en- Fries.

'lHEOl-IITLL S "AUGHAN HUGHES, OF BlltllllNGllAhl, ENGLAND,

APPARATUS FOR THE HEAT TREATMENT OT METALS.

I To all whom it may concern:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19,1907. Serial No. 363,303.

Patented Oct. 15,1907.

heat treatment chamber a and cooling chamber d, I

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS VAUGHAN HUGHES, may employ an endlessconveyer chain 1' fitted with a. subject of the King of Great Britain,residing at 130 Edmund street, in the city of Birmingham, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Heat Treatmentof Metals. of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to apparatus for the heat treatment of metals oralloys during or in connection with manufacturing processes, andconsists in the combinaablcd to submit metallic articles to the actionof heat in anatmosphere of non-oxidizing or other gas or gases withoutpassing the ariicles through liquid seals or quenching tanks, and alsoto effect a preheating of the gas supply whereby the said atmosphere ismaintained.

Referring to the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings:Figure 1 isa sectional diagram of heat treatment apparatus constructed inaccordance with this invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively sectionalviews of modified forms of heating or conveying appliances employed inconjunction with my heat treatment chamber.

The same reference letters in the different views indicate the sameparts.

In carrying the invention into effect I employ a tube a serving as aheat treatment chamber which is supportedin an inclined position withina furnace 1) surrounding the greater part of the tube. At its lowerextremity the tube a (lips into a closed box or chamber 0 and at its-upper extremity is secured to an oppositely inc lined delivery orcooling tube d which likewise tei'--- When the gas or gases consistentirely or in'part of steam the said tube is utilized for thegeneration of such steam, and the supply of water thereto is maintainedby a water pipe 9 fitted with tap h.

By thcarrangement of'tubes d and d as aforesaid and the buoyancy of theheated gases passed into the same through the pipe f, a non oxidizingatmosphere can readily be maintained in the said tubes, theonly'cscapeto the boxes 0 and e and thence tothe atmosphere being that due to aslow diffusion which takes place at the outer ends of the tubes. By theprovision for heating the gas supply tube f the disturbing effects of acold gas supply on the heated tubes and articles are avoided. Boxes 0and e are connected bya tube p.

For feeding or conveying the articles through the -3 provision is madefor an intermittent movement, the

boxes It being supported by rails Z and propelled in a step by stepmanner by a reciprocating railm (arranged between the guide rails) whichduring each forward stroke raises the boxes off therails l and advancesthem. towards the outlet end of thejtubea, and on the return strokelowers the boxes on to the rails Z where they remain until again raisedwith the next forward movement of the reciprocating rail m. Anyconvenient means may be employed for operating the rail 7n, such as apair of cranks n geared to rotate simultaneously and arranged torespectively engage a pair of slotted projections o attachedto therails.

Instead of employing a pair of inclined tubes as hereinbefore described,I sometimes dispense with the tube (1 and employ only the tube a theupper end of thelattcr then being closed. In this case the screw form offeeding apparatus is preferred and the required forward and returnmovements of the scrcware obtained by reversing its direction ofrotation. The lower portion of the tube extending beyond the furnace isalso made somewhat longer than otherwise in order to obtain the requiredcooling of the articles before they are withdrawn.

Having thus described my invention what l claim and desirc'to'secure byLetters Patent is:- J

1. In the heat treatment of metals, the combination consisting of aninclined thermal treatment chamber charged witl 'non-oxidiaing gas, afurnace-for heating such chamber and its inclosed gas, and a gas supplytube connected to the upper nd of the chamber and arranged in partwithin the said furnace, substantially as described.

2. In the heat treatment of metals, the combination consisting of aninclined thermal treatment chamber charged with non-oxidizing gas, afurnace for heating such chamber and its inclosed gas, a gas supply tubeconnected to the upper end of the chamber and arranged in part withinthe said furnace, and means for conveying articles to be treated alongthe said thermal Treatment chamber, suhstantially as described.

3. In the heat treatment of metals, the combination consisting of aninclined thermal treatment chamber charged with non-oxidizing gas, afurnace for heating such charm her and its contained gas, a closedchamber at the outer end of the said thermal treatment chamber, a gassupply tube connected to the upper end of the thermal treatment chamberand arranged in part within the said furnace, and means for conveyingarticles to be treatedalong the said thermal treatment chamber,substantially as described.

4. In the heat treatment of metals, the combination conconnected totheuppe end of the thermal 'treatment chamsisting of an inclined thermaltreatment chamber, an' 01)- her" and arrangedln part within the furnace,substantially positely incline$l cool-ingchamber secured to the saidtheras described. Y r mal treatment chamber, both chambers being chargedwith v In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this 5nonoxidizing, gas, a furnace for heating said thermal treatspecificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 15

ment. chamber and its contained gas, closed chambers at V the respectiveouter ends of the thermal treatment .and THEOPHILUS Q H G coolingchamhers, a connecting tube between the said Witnesses: closed chambers,means for coni eying articles to be .TOHX MORGAN,

1() treated through all the chambers and a gas supply tube 1 HARRYDAVIS. I

